Harwood Staff Blog, September 8, 2020

This year will be one to remember.. No doubt!  

Team Harwood; 

A HUGE thank you to everyone for a smooth and calm 1st day.  All of your thoughtful planning paid off.  We are all continuing to process and adjust to this new reality and managing this in unique ways.

See how this teacher is making sense of it all.  

There are a million details and changing logistics BUT we will win these next 8 days if we remember to:

Make our students feel safe and welcomed!

*Follow our schedule 

*Remember TA is extended to 9:02

*High School - Eric will dismiss students to go to the cafeteria for lunch in order to minimize the

                         line length (L.L. for short) 

Take attendance by 

*Sending out a question of the day to your asynchronous TA students on Tuesday/Thursday and

Logging attendance before 2:30.

*Logging attendance in the 1st 10 min. Of each class - both TA and regular blocks

Other Essentials! 

*Ensure all students who leave the classroom for the bathroom sign out and file each sign out

      page at the end of the day.

*Create a seating chart each day with the names of students that are present in each TA/block

      you teach and file each sign out page at the end of the day.  Please use the blue folders

      provided on a table near the library for keeping these records.  

In order to help you manage the many details and logistics of this year please see our COVID guidebook - also linked into our website and blog.

In partnership and with gratitude,

Laurie, Meg and Duane

A few quick FAQ’s

 

If a student shares with you that they have been out of state in the last 14 days please ?

You should call the nurse and then the student will go to the nurse.

Radios

Please remember to return you to radios to Ray Daigle’s office at the end of the day!  

These devices are very expensive due to the technological need to broadcast clearly within Harwood Triangle (or black hole as it is sometimes called - an area of land (once a very famous potato farm also known for terrible cell service, missing aircraft and strange beings who emerge from a cylinder ship (found in the ground oddly enough) usually in early September)  

Where should I eat if my classroom is being used or I don’t have an office/classroom?

Find a place that feels comfortable for you and please remember to practice physical distancing.

What do I do if I’m absent on an online day?

All teachers should proactively have an asynchronous task in their sub folder to be completed on days they are absent from online class.  Teachers will not have a sub for online days when they need to call out sick.  Instead an asynchronous task will need to be assigned instead.  

What bathrooms can staff use?

           Middle school office 

           Main office

           Teacher Lounge 

           Unisex bathroom in the gym near the lockers - they will be gender labelled for use - they no not

                 lock - please knock!   

Curious  

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
First two weeks schedule	In case you need a reminder - here is next week’s schedule.  TA will continue to be until 9:02 on Tues/Thurs.
9/16 Staff meeting	For the 2020-2021 school year staff meetings will be held on Wednesday’s from 3-4. Next week our staff meeting will start with shout outs and announcements and then provide time for you to ensure you’re ready for your lessons the week of 9/21 when we’ll be ramping up to “normal” lessons.	Curtis
If you have more more questions please add to our Q&A	We’re working hard to answer your questions - keep adding as more come up to Harwood MS/HS Q&A.	Laurie, Meg and Duane
Where in powerschool can I see if my student is scheduled for a Tuesday or Thursday?	If you want to know a student's assigned day, you will see it listed in their "Quick Lookup" page in PowerSchool. Students were enrolled in a course with the title of their attending day, for example "Attending Thursday." It is listed in Jblock with their school counselor and case manager.    Students that have been approved to attend a day other than their assigned alphabet day received an email from Susan Laskaris. There attending day is also reflected in PowerSchool.

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

First two weeks schedule 

In case you need a reminder - here is next week’s schedule. 

• TA will continue to be until 9:02 on Tues/Thurs. 

9/16 Staff meeting 

For the 2020-2021 school year staff meetings will be held on Wednesday’s from 3-4.

Next week our staff meeting will start with shout outs and announcements and then provide time for you to ensure you’re ready for your lessons the week of 9/21 when we’ll be ramping up to “normal” lessons.

Curtis 

If you have more more questions please add to our Q&A 

We’re working hard to answer your questions - keep adding as more come up to Harwood MS/HS Q&A.  

Laurie, Meg and Duane

Where in powerschool can I see if my student is scheduled for a Tuesday or Thursday?

If you want to know a student's assigned day, you will see it listed in their "Quick Lookup" page in PowerSchool. Students were enrolled in a course with the title of their attending day, for example "Attending Thursday." It is listed in Jblock with their school counselor and case manager. 

 

Students that have been approved to attend a day other than their assigned alphabet day received an email from Susan Laskaris. There attending day is also reflected in PowerSchool. 

Connected 

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
Jump Rope FYI	Don’t put anything in Jump Rope yet - updates still happening	Lisa
Friendly reminder	Please update your sub folder with your schedule and give to Shannon by 9/11	Shannon
Friendly reminder	Update syllabus - using this up to date template and share in this folder by  9/11	Meg, Laurie an Duane
Friendly reminder	Set up Google classroom guardian invites by 9/11  (great instructions from Curtis here)	Lisa/Curtis
Resource to strengthen our hybrid instructional skills.	Check out this summary of an Edutopia article, in which Emelina Minero reports on her interviews with educators on how they have been enhancing student participation in a virtual environment - Maximizing Student Engagement in Remote Classes

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

Jump Rope FYI

Don’t put anything in Jump Rope yet - updates still happening

Lisa 

Friendly reminder

Please update your sub folder with your schedule and give to Shannon by 9/11

Shannon 

Friendly reminder

Update syllabus - using this up to date template and share in this folder by  9/11

Meg, Laurie an Duane

Friendly reminder

Set up Google classroom guardian invites by 9/11  (great instructions from Curtis here)

Lisa/Curtis 

Resource to strengthen our hybrid instructional skills.

Check out this summary of an Edutopia article, in which Emelina Minero reports on her interviews with educators on how they have been enhancing student participation in a virtual environment - Maximizing Student Engagement in Remote Classes

Caring 

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
Continuing our individual and collective work of considering our privilege and how to support ALL our students	The Boston Globe, author/researcher Linda K. Wertheimer synthesizes insights from scholars and teachers on teaching about racism in secondary schools (these come from the article with only minor changes): Suggestions for Teaching About Racism
Friendly reminder	Please complete your mandated trainings - please see list and link here by 9/18.
Gazebo usage	Our Music dept is unable to have students participate in activities such as singing and music that involves woodwind or brass instruments.  While we have all been impacted by COIVD - this greatly inhibits curriculum in music classes in a unique way.  As a result, we have made the decision to allocate the gazebo to the music dep’t in order to provide space where they are allowed (according to guidelines) to sing and play.  Thank you for your understanding and partnership.	Meg, Laurie an Duane

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

Continuing our individual and collective work of considering our privilege and how to support ALL our students  

The Boston Globe, author/researcher Linda K. Wertheimer synthesizes insights from scholars and teachers on teaching about racism in secondary schools (these come from the article with only minor changes): Suggestions for Teaching About Racism

Friendly reminder

Please complete your mandated trainings - please see list and link here by 9/18.  

Gazebo usage

Our Music dept is unable to have students participate in activities such as singing and music that involves woodwind or brass instruments.  While we have all been impacted by COIVD - this greatly inhibits curriculum in music classes in a unique way.  As a result, we have made the decision to allocate the gazebo to the music dep’t in order to provide space where they are allowed (according to guidelines) to sing and play.  Thank you for your understanding and partnership.  

Meg, Laurie an Duane